Will We Survive?
Volume XXVII, Number 1
January 4, 2023
I've got to keep this short because I'm already out walking on the third "beam" of Operation True Cross from California to Indiana with our newest "Cyrene," Peter.
The challenges have been terrific—and I have cool photos. Plus: a mystery animal!
EARTHQUAKES & INJURY,
POPE BENEDICT,
RAIN DURING A DROUGHT
The intimidating California “beam” of Operation True Cross is underway! That’s 2,700 hard miles to Notre Dame, Indiana—and three times the combined distance of the northern Wisconsin and Washington DC beams we just finished this past fall.
Our current pilgrimage is the third of four stages of our unprecedented “living crucifix of reparation.” It will take four months through Lent and past Easter into late April (and that’s only if everything goes as planned).
I’m astonished by the number of Catholics of all ages nationwide who are joining us by offering the spiritual warfare prayers in the Daily Prayers to Save America book (only $1).
And you’re a part of it all.
The newest “Cyrene” to help carry the True Cross is a beefy dude named Peter, and he’s 60 like me.
After Mass and Adoration, Peter and I left the Shrine of Our Lady of Peace in Santa Clara, CA, on December 28th, Feast of the Holy Innocents. That's me (left) and Peter prostrate before Our Eucharistic Lord, moments after receiving Him in the Eucharist:
We were led by an ancient battlehorse of a priest, Father Michael "Mickey" Pintacura, along with Sarah Parker, her husband Jared, and several other local Operation True Cross spiritual warriors.
Beginning with Father Mickey, everyone took turns carrying my relic of the True Cross around their shoulders for the first few miles.
The feast day seemed appropriate, even predestined, given this project’s goal of securing divine intervention to deliver America from diabolical bondage which feeds off the blood of the innocent.
Peter hails from Montana but grew up on the east coast. We have been walking every day from sunrise to sunset ever since.
And we were definitely jolted by the 5.4 magnitude earthquake that made national headlines.
We have now entered into the desolate, sparsely-populated foothills of the Sierra Nevadas in central California. Every day has been cold, rainy, and windy.
And it's going to get much, much worse. According to one report, the coming torrential downpours will "include widespread flooding, roads washing out, hillsides collapsing, trees down, widespread power outages," and other devastation.
Pete's a big, lovable moose, and he was joyfully cranking out miles for the first five days, undeterred by the miserable weather and often treacherous curving roads.
His achilles tendon began bothering him a couple days ago, and despite taking a day off on Sunday, yesterday his foot blew up like a balloon after a few miles of walking, and now he has to stay off it for a week! (We're consulting with our OTC medical professional.)
Most of the time, we have absolutely no cell coverage, so we have to "dead reckon" the route to find each other after our solitary walks.
While scouting ahead in the van, I came across a huge tumbleweed—note the Saint Michael statue on the dashboard:
I jumped out and threw the amazingly lightweight bundle out of the way, not realizing it was filled with tiny thorns, which I then had to pluck out of my fingertips.
Yesterday afternoon, on my second long walk, I spent hours ascending a steep mountain road for seven straight miles of switchback curves in the face of freezing, driving rain until sunset.
I decided to get a hotel in a little agricultural town called Coalinga to allow Peter to ice up and elevate—and so I could get some WiFi to post this message.
I could not help but recall the hurricane weather Steve Thomas and I braved over the Appalachians during the first week of the Washington DC beam.
The entire southwest has been suffering the worst drought in decades, and all the striking landscapes we are walking through are greened up, instead of the usual burned-out brown, as my California readers can attest.
The rain is good for the local farmers, cattle ranchers, and depleted reservoirs.
This morning, when I was finally able to get through to Xavier to plan our walking routes through the endless deserts of eastern California and Arizona, he half-joked that we should purposely walk through drought-stricken areas because torrential downpours seem to follow Operation True Cross everywhere we go.
That crazy mountain climb yesterday was exhilarating and kinda fun, because, well, I'm insane. It's such an honor to carry the True Cross...
...because I am carrying you every step of the way, along with the tens of thousands who are praying and walking and offering self-denials with us.
Peter's PenanceNot being able to walk is a great penance for Peter. I think his skeleton is not made out of bone, but from something stronger: zeal for souls and for America.
The passing of Pope Benedict weighs upon his heart. He thinks everything is connected: a holy pope passing away on the eve of this new year, the strange weather, the earthquakes, and tens of thousands of us coming together against the forces of darkness.
He told me this morning with great conviction that he believes Operation True Cross is going to effect the entire world—because this is Our Lady's mission.
Peter is constantly talking about how important your role is. He is one of you, sent by Mary to represent you. We're the tip of the spear, and that tip is made out of the actual wood of the Holy Cross.
You are the spear, and it is held in the hand of an enormously powerful Angel of Our Lady.
Peter has just three more weeks before he needs to return home to his family. Please pray for his foot to heal. It's just me walking in the meantime, and my limit is 20 miles a day.
Our Lady has sent us two other “Cyrenes,” both fine Catholic men in their twenties, to walk the final two stages (Tucson AZ to Oklahoma City, and then OKC to Notre Dame).
Both are named Gabriel. What do you think this means?
Holding Up PhysicallyI sincerely wonder if I can make it physically, given the distance and my age, as much as I’ve been holding up well so far, taking the Three Angelus spiritual warfare “prescription” from Father Chad Ripperger, and fasting virtually every day since this all began (which is so not like me).
Walk Wherever You AreBesides distributing the Daily Prayers book, forwarding these email updates to your friends and relatives will be an easy and crucial way for you to invite others into this "hidden" spiritual warfare movement.
In solidarity, some of our benefactors have also been walking part-way or all the way to their local churches (depending on distance, weather, and health) while praying the Rosary or other devotions.
Ask the Holy Spirit to guide your own forms of reparation. Please, don’t underestimate the role Our Lady has planned for you in all this.
Never Was it KnownNow, let us pray together, tens of thousands in one voice, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit...
that never was it known
that anyone who fled to thy protection,
implored thy help,
or sought thy intercession,
was left unaided.
Inspired by this confidence,
we fly unto thee,
O Virgin of virgins,
our mother.
To thee do we come,
before thee we stand,
sinful and sorrowful.
O Mother of the Word Incarnate,
despise not our petitions,
but in thy mercy hear and answer us.
Amen.
CATHOLIC QUOTES BY PETE
"Take advantage of little sufferings even more than of great ones. God considers not so much what we suffer as how we suffer."
- Saint Louis de Montfort
"Information is the basis for all future action."
- Bud Macfarlane (Yes, he is quoting me!)
So far I've seen cats, dogs, bobcats, wild turkeys, pigs, horses, cows, chickens, goats, birds, owls, eagles, hawks, deer, sheep, rabbits, raccoons, snakes, and even fish.
Today I had a seven-minute staring contest with this friendly little guy, who apparently resides under a road.
I had no idea what kind of animal he was. Look at those cute monkey ears! How the white stripe on his face matches the white stripe on his roof! Those puppy dog eyes!
I want him to be our mascot. So please suggest some nicknames. I'm leaning toward Black Axe. Pete wants Clarence (yes, the angel from It's a Wonderful Life). Xavier wants Phil.
Hey—look at the time! Gotta go. I need to put the True Cross around my shoulders and start walking. Don't forget to share this email with your friends and relatives.
I'm looking forward to your reactions to this email. Just hit reply.
With Saint Joseph,
Terror of Demons,
Bud Macfarlane,
Founder
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